Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources

Teaching at a boarding school is different from teaching anywhere else. It is a way of life more than it is a job. And within boarding schools, part of what makes Deerfield distinctive is the care and time we put into our students. In addition to creating rigorous learning environments in the classroom, Deerfield faculty spend time with students in the dormitories, on the playing fields, at sit-down meals, in advisory sessions, and in many other contexts. This repeated bringing together of people is a substantial part of what makes a Deerfield education so meaningful.

Major facets of life at Deerfield Academy include:

Teaching: The Academy’s highest priority is excellent teaching. Most full-time faculty teach four sections, generally with two preps. Deerfield is a proponent of autonomy in the classroom, but it is also deeply committed to collaboration and shared values. The Dean of Faculty’s office strongly supports a wide variety of professional development, including summer grants, conference attendance, sabbaticals, acquisition of materials, and more.
Residences: Each faculty member either resides in a dorm or lives in school housing and is associated with a dorm. Typical dorm coverage is three nights per week. Associates cover one night per week and have various responsibilities during weekends. Dormitory life is one area in which Deerfield Academy faculty have a profound influence on our students.
Co-curriculars: Most faculty coach for two seasons, or advise other activities, like community service, the school newspaper, the debate team, etc.
Sit-down meals: During four lunches and three dinners per week, faculty and students sit down together to share meals. This time-honored tradition at Deerfield is a large part of what builds such close relationships within the community. Most faculty cover five out of seven meals per week.
Advisory: Faculty work closely with nine or fewer students to advise them not only on their academic work and course selection, but also in the many and varied challenges of adolescence.

Major facets of life at Deerfield Academy include:

Access to campus resources year-round. This includes faculty apartments, library, playing fields, fitness center, and much more, including living in the heart of a historic village.
Utilities–including cable, internet, electricity, heat, and phone–are covered by Deerfield Academy.
Three meals a day are available at the dining hall during the school year, and limited meals are available during some vacations. Family is welcome.

Situated in the Pioneer Valley, surrounded by bucolic fields and adjacent to a wandering river and miles of hiking, running, and riding trails, Deerfield Academy offers a rigorous and collegial work environment surrounded by distinctive natural beauty. And, with five colleges a short drive away (Amherst College, Mt Holyoke College, Smith College, Hampshire College, and UMass-Amherst) as well as the (cozy) city of Northampton, Deerfield is within close reach of a wide variety of cultural arts and entertainment opportunities.